A Love Hate Relationship
by x-Pick'n'Mix-x
Summary: As the title suggests, Lottie Harper and Sherlock Holmes have a love hate relationship. Can Lottie come to terms with being stranded in the 18th century AND avoid strangling Sherlock Holmes? Will Holmes ever stop winding her up? Unlikely. rated to be safe
1. Chapter 1

**A/n: I've read quite a few fics now, where the OC has a love/hate relationship with Holmes, where they argue a lot, and I find it hilarious. So, I figured I'd give it a go. Just 'cause I wanna see if I'm able to do it well :D**

**Please let me know what you think, and to those who are reading my other fics, don't worry; they'll be updated shortly.**

**xXxXx**

*Watson's POV*

It was within my first year of marriage to my wife Mary that this story starts. It is an event that, even now, causes me great amusement. The event of which I speak is when my closest friend; the great detective, Sherlock Holmes, fell for a woman's charm. Or lack thereof, on occasion. She became almost like a drug to him, and I'm pleased to say that since they met, he has yet to reach for the needle. Now, please don't mistake my words or think that he fell for an ordinary woman, for she is anything but ordinary. In fact, it was her singularity that intrigued him; her fiery temper is what fuelled him most, and her wit.

And yes, I am talking about the man who frequently ridiculed all emotions and claimed that love was for fools and the weak. The man who mocked the prospect of love and who had little admiration for the fairer sex, did in fact find love. And this is that story…

…

*Lottie's POV*

When I woke up from my nap on the sofa – without opening my eyes – I knew that something was different. The room smelt like… tobacco smoke and… chemicals? My sofa – which is normally pretty lumpy – was really comfortable, and felt… expensive. Slowly, I opened my eyes only to shut them again. I must be dreaming… I'll open my eyes again, and I'll be in my living room. 3…2…1…

"Bugger." I muttered and slowly sat up. The room I was in looked like something from the Victorian era, or from someone rich's house. But then again, the room was an absolute tip. It looked like a bomb had gone off inside it.

I got to my feet and turned on the spot. There were bullet holes in the wall which formed V.R. – why did that seem familiar? – And a chemistry set in the corner, as well as loads of books. I decided that I was just in a dream, and that it just wasn't time for me to wake up yet. So I made my way towards the door, as I made my way towards it though, it opened and a man walked in stuffing a pipe. Instead of shouting at me to get out of his house – like I would of – he smiled at me and asked; "Ah, and what case do you have to present to me?"

"Sorry, what?" I asked dumbly.

"Your case…" he trailed off as he looked over my clothes – I was wearing a tank-top and jeans with my trainers. "I assume you're not from around here?"

"I actually have no idea. Sorry to bother you, I'll be going now." He stepped aside and watched me as I ran down the steps and to the front door. I glanced over my shoulder to see him watching me carefully as he lit his pipe. Turning away, I opened the door and promptly shut it again. When I opened it again, nothing changed and neither did anything the next few times I tried.

Outside, there were horses pulling carriages, men walking around dressed in fancy suits with top hats and women clinging to their arms wearing dresses that were so tight they must be slowly suffocating. The roads were cobblestone, and the horses' hooves were loud as they trotted over them. A few people walking passed saw me in the doorway and gave me odd looks before carrying on wherever they were heading. That was when I started to doubt it was a dream, because my dreams are never this realistic. I can't normally _feel_ whatever I touch.

"Is there a problem?" the man asked when I remained in his doorway.

"Huh? Oh… no. I just… I'm just confused." I shut the door again, and leant against it, watching the man descend the staircase.

I took the time to study him, and noticed that he was slightly taller than me, with messy black hair, piercing brown eyes that shone with intelligence and curiosity, his chin had stubble dotted along it – not so he looked scruffy, but no too neat – and his clothes looked expensive and posh, but were scruffy and looked like they were thrown on hurriedly.

"What has you confused?" he asked.

"I have no idea how I got here." I replied with a long sigh. Then I pinched myself, but didn't wake up. When I tried again, I noticed he was watching me with one eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Nothing. Now, where are you from?"

"London."

"Really? And where did you acquire your clothing?"

"Why? Wanna buy some for yourself?" I laughed.

"No, not at all. It's just that I've never seen anyone wear something so… revealing, in public."

"Revealing?" I asked, looking down at my outfit. "It only shows my shoulders and a bit of my chest!"

"Exactly. Anyway, can you remember anything?" he pressed.

"Well, I got him from work-"

"What do you work as?"

"I'm a police officer. And then because I was tired, I decided to take a nap before I had to get back on patrol. So, I went to sleep on the sofa after watching the news on TV, and woke up on your sofa."

"TV?"

"Yeah, you know, television?" he looked at me blankly and I sighed. "Oh, right, I guess they weren't around in this era."

"Oh, and what era are you from, my dear?" he asked with amusement.

"The 21st century. This is the 18th, right?"

"Indeed it is. And you say you're from the 21st century, so the future?" he asked without scepticism, just curiosity.

"Yeah. 2011."

"Is there any chance that you've hit your head? As my good friend, Doctor Watson, will be here shortly, and he could take a look at you."

"Nope. I'm good." As I spoke, the door started to open and I stepped away from it to avoid being hit.

"Ah, speak of the devil!" the man cried excitedly. "Watson, I would very much appreciate it if you could take a look at… I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."

"I'm sure I'm fine. And I'm Lottie Harper."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Harper. I'm Sherlock Holmes, and this is Doctor John Watson."

"… Okay, maybe I have bumped my head." I muttered after staring at them both for a moment.

The doctor walked over to me and took my face in my hands, looking into my eyes. "You seem fine. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I think."

"Perhaps we should sit down and talk about what you can remember, hmm?" he suggested and they led me back up the stairs and into the living room.

…

*Watson's POV*

When I left them both the day we met Lottie, it was to Holmes trying to figure out how she could have possibly travelled through time and ended up on his sofa, and her wandering around the room and looking at things. I have to say, that when I left them; I was rather confused myself. I had no idea as to how this could be possible, and yet there she was, walking around Holmes' living room.

When I returned the next day to see how they were getting on and if Holmes had any ideas on the time-travelling, is when I realised his infatuation with her.

As I ascended the stairs, I could hear them talking, and noticed immediately the amusement in his voice, and the irritation in hers. I paused outside the door to listen, and was amused at what I heard.

"I told you, I didn't touch your bloody violin!" she cried and I could tell that she was stood near the window.

"Oh, and I suppose it just got up and walked four inches to the left?" Holmes' voice retorted from somewhere near the fireplace, and was laced with amusement that I'm sure she wouldn't recognise.

"Possibly! I mean come on, you can't write off anything as impossible now! I'm walking proof of that!"

"Yes, but I highly doubt that it's possible for a violin to sprout legs and move itself."

"Maybe Mrs Hudson moved it! I don't know! You probably knocked the table, and it shifted it."

"I would have noticed, and we would not be having this discussion." He answered with a chuckle and I stifled my own laugh when she sighed exasperatedly.

"Whatever. If you want me to touch it, I will! And I'll throw it out the friggin' window!"

"I would advise against that. I wouldn't be held responsible for my actions, if you were to do that."

"Are you threatening me? I would kick your arse!"

Snickering to myself quietly, I chose this moment to make my presence known, in case Lottie decided to carry out her threat.

"Ah, Watson! How are you this fine afternoon?" Holmes called cheerfully as I closed the door behind me. He was indeed stood at the fire place, and Lottie was sat on the windowsill.

"I'm well, thank you Holmes. And yourself?" I asked as I shrugged off my coat.

"I'm absolutely marvellous." He beamed. "Brandy?"

"Yes, please. And how about you, Miss Harper?" I asked, smiling over at her. She returned the smile as she shifted on the windowsill.

"I'm alright, other than that arrogant git over there accusing me of touching his violin." She replied, shooting a glare at Holmes that I'm sure, if looks could kill, would have him on the floor as a pile of ash.

"Well, it wouldn't have been Mrs Hudson; she knows not to touch it under any circumstances." Holmes smirked at her as he handed me my brandy. I noticed the gleam in his eyes, and I knew that he was baiting her on purpose; and almost seemed like he was unable to stop himself.

"Whatever. I didn't touch your stupid violin. I play the guitar." She muttered and got up off the windowsill to sit on the sofa.

"Yes, and you paint." Holmes added as he took his seat in his armchair across from me.

"Yeah I do. Let me guess; I have callouses on my fingers?" she replied sarcastically.

"Yes, that is indeed how I knew. Well done." Holmes replied patronisingly.

"Don't you patronise me! I swear, I'll kick your arse!" she glared.

"I highly doubt that." Before she could defend herself, Holmes turned to me with a smile. "And how is Mrs Watson?"

"She's fine and well." I replied with a smile. "She wants to have dinner with you again soon."

"Ah, of course." He smiled. "Let's hope it goes better than the first time, hmm?"

"One can only hope." I nodded and sipped my brandy and watched as Holmes looked over at Lottie, who was looking at her nails, and recognised the look in his eye. It was the same look that he wore when he looked at The Woman – Miss Adler. The one that shone with admiration, respect and – surprisingly – fondness.

"What are you looking at now?" she muttered without looking up. Holmes merely smiled and sipped his brandy, not answering her question. He was baiting her again. "Well? What were you looking at?" she pressed again.

"I was looking at you, my dear." Holmes answered with a smirk.

"I know that, I want to know _why_."

"Ah, but you asked 'what were you looking at?' and I was looking at you. You must make your questions clearer, or you'll never get anywhere."

"How the hell do you put up with him?" she asked me exasperatedly.

I just smiled apologetically and focused on Holmes; who was, once again, watching Lottie. He was studying her every move, and as he went to take a drink, she shifted in her seat and picked up a book, and he paused with his glass halfway to his lips to watch her.

That's when I knew that he was completely and utterly infatuated. He had – in the space of a day – become obsessed with her. He was trying to work her out, at the same time as baiting her to get her riled up, as it amused him. It was strange to think that he could feel attracted to someone – let alone someone he had only known for a day. But, it was clear that he felt _something_ for her. What, I didn't know yet. I had a strong suspicion that it was attraction and fascination. But only time would tell.

Smiling to myself, I sipped my brandy and observed him studying her.

**xXxXx**

**A/n: I had SO much fun writing this lol. Seriously, having Holmes wind Lottie up is **_**so**_** much fun to write :D**

**So, what did you think? Interested in me continuing this? Please review and let me know if I should or not. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Thanks to everyone that reviewed :) I'm glad you all enjoyed the first chapter and it was nice to hear from you.**

**Review replies to people without accounts:**

**Maynahchick:**** glad you liked it, and hope you like this :D**

**England's Rose:**** Hullo :D glad you liked it :) lol, he is a smart arse lol. And yeah, she sure as hell will :) lol, I think it's gonna be a lot of fun to write this story ;)**

**Right, I don't know if all of you know (you probably do, but just in case…) Stephen Fry has been cast as Mycroft Holmes. So, I decided to bring him into this :D enjoy.**

**xXxXx**

*Lottie's POV*

I was sat on the sofa, reading one of Holmes' books, and drinking some tea that Mrs Hudson had made for me. Holmes was out on a case, thankfully. He had been getting on my nerves all day, before an officer had come in and told him about a case. He tried to get me to go with him, but I refused so that I could have some time to myself without him winding me up.

The door opened, and I looked up to see Watson smiling at me. "Hey Watson." I grinned and closed the book. "What's up?"

He gave me an amused look before shrugging off his coat. "Well, nothing's 'up'. How are you today, Miss Harper?" he asked kindly as he sat in his armchair.

"I'm good. He's out on a case, if you're wondering. I didn't go with him 'cause he's doing my head in." he laughed, and I rolled my eyes. "I mean it! All he does is wind me up!"

"I'm sorry, I won't laugh." He smiled and looked around briefly before looking back. "Did you actually move his violin, or was he 'winding you up'?"

"Oh, I moved it." I grinned. "I had a look at it, and put it back down. That's it. But I figured he'd be all anal- I mean fussy about it, so I lied."

"Ah, I see." He smirked. He was about to say something else, but the door swung open and Holmes strode in, his eyes lighting up when he spotted Watson.

"Watson! Three visits in less than a week? I'm honoured!" he exclaimed as he threw his scarf at me.

"Oi!" I glared and threw it back.

"Sorry, I meant for it to land on the sofa." He grinned.

"Sure you did." I muttered and opened the book again with a huff.

"What was the case, Holmes?" Watson asked and I listened in to the conversation.

"Oh, it was simple really. The butler waited until everyone was asleep, before bringing in his fellow thieves to rob the place. The man didn't even bother to change his shoes before waking everyone to say there was a robbery. So, his shoes were covered in the mud from the garden, where he helped to carry objects out into the waiting hansom. Absurdly simple, I have no idea why I was even contacted."

"Maybe they somehow knew how annoying you were being to me and decided to give me a break." I muttered under my breath.

I heard chuckling, and looked up to see it was Holmes. When he recovered, he looked over at me and smiled. "And how do I annoy you?"

"Are you kidding me?" I cried and he just carried on smiling. "All you do is wind me up! Like now! You've wound me up and you keep doing it." I glared at him when he carried on smiling.

"I can assure you that I don't irritate you on purpose, no matter how amusing it is."

"Liar." I muttered.

The door opened again, and I smiled at Mrs Hudson when she walked in. "Lottie, dear, I was wondering if you'd like to help me prepare lunch?"

I got up from my seat, and with a pointed look at Holmes, I replied; "Yeah, I'd love to."

*Watson's POV*

We watched Lottie leave the room, and then I turned to look at Holmes, who was looking over at whatever book she was reading.

"How's having Lottie stay here going for you then, old boy?"

"Rather well, Watson. In fact, she's proving to be quite the puzzle to work out." He replied, looking over at me.

"How so?"

"Well, every time I find something out about her, she does something else that surprises me."

"Ah, I see. And have you managed to have a civil conversation?"

"Depends on your meaning of 'civil'. He smirked.

"One that doesn't involve you baiting her so that she yells at you and you can argue." I replied with a small chuckle.

"Oh, in that case, no." he grinned.

"Why do you wind her up so much, Holmes?"

"I'm not sure." He admitted. "I suppose I like her reactions. They amuse me."

"Holmes, old boy, you're completely infatuated, I hope you realise."

His head snapped back in my direction, and he looked shocked. "I am not! I simply find her interesting."

"I'm sure that's all there is to it, old cock." I laughed and he glared at me.

"It is. There's nothing more to it than that."

"So you've said." I stated with amusement.

"Indeed. She is quite the character, that's all." He mused aloud.

"Yes, she is. She has quite the temper..."

"That she does Watson."

"But she seems to have a good sense of humour." I pressed, tempting him to admit something.

"She does indeed. And a wonderful personality." He continued, oblivious to my trap.

"And not an unpleasant face…"

"Oh absolutely. She has a great amount of natural beauty-" he cut himself off as he realised what he was saying, and I grinned triumphantly.

"Aha, I knew it!" I cried, laughing at his shocked face.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'll be back in just a moment; I need to fetch my pipe." He muttered and fled into his bedroom, leaving me chuckling behind him.

Lottie came back up before he had come back in, and sat on the sofa. "Apparently I'm a nightmare in the kitchen." She grinned.

Obviously hearing her voice, Holmes appeared out of his room carrying his pipe and I smiled knowingly. "How so?" I asked.

"I accidently knocked over all the flour. And smashed a few eggs. I can be pretty clumsy." She laughed.

"How did you manage that?" I laughed and watched Holmes return to his seat and try to look uninterested.

"Well, the flour I knocked over when I tried to get a bowl from the cupboard. I smashed the eggs when I was trying to crack them on the edge of the bowl: I hit them with my elbow and they fell off. I've probably got flour on my face- do I?" she asked suddenly, reaching a hand up to her face.

"No, there's nothing there." I smiled and she returned it before leaning back in her chair and glancing sideways at Holmes, who was absently fiddling with his pipe.

"How's your day been anyway, Watson?" she asked me as she tucked her legs underneath her.

"It's been good. A little busy at the practice this morning, but nothing exciting." I replied and noticed that Holmes was now looking at Lottie from the corner of his eye as she fiddled with the cover of the book she was reading earlier.

"Cool, cool." She looked around the room absently as she thought of what to say next. Her eyes landed on Holmes, and she eyed him carefully before speaking. "Okay… how's your day been then, Holmes?"

He looked at her directly; surprised by her question – as was I. he recovered quickly, and smiled brightly. "Marvellous, Miss Harper- it is Miss, isn't it? There's no ring, but you could be divorced."

She laughed quietly and shook her head. "You know, that's kind of like a chat-up line in my time." Holmes' brow furrowed, and I suppressed a laugh. "But yeah, it's Miss. Not married, and never have been."

"Right." Holmes smiled and eyed her for a second before speaking again. "How many brothers do you have?"

She narrowed her eyes in confusion for a moment before her eyebrows rose and she shook her head. "Alright, how'd you know?"

Holmes smiled, and leant forward in his chair. "Well, the way you behave, mostly. You clearly aren't interested in the latest fashions, or gossip. You have a fiery temper, which most likely formed from having to put up with being the only girl in the family. Also, you're not shy and don't mind being yourself in front of two men, so you make yourself comfortable; which shows that you weren't raised to sit still and speak when spoken to, or to behave 'appropriately' around men."

"…. Fair enough. That's pretty cool. Anyway, I have four brothers. Two older, two younger." She replied as she got to her feet and stretched out her back – which caused it to pop slightly. Holmes watched her the whole time, much to my amusement. "Mind if I get a different book?"

"Not at all, my dear." He replied easily, leaning back in his chair again. Smiling, I got to my feet and offered him my hand. "Are you off, dear fellow?"

"Yes, I told Mary I wouldn't be long. I'll try and visit tomorrow." I smiled and shook his hand. He nodded, and I turned to face Lottie – who was walking over to us again.

"You're going?" I nodded, and she stepped closer. I held out my hand for her to take, but she laughed and pulled me into a hug, making my cheeks redden slightly. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to seduce you." She laughed into my shoulder, and I smiled before wrapping one arm around her shoulder for a friendly hug. I looked up to see Holmes was watching us carefully, a look familiar to jealousy on his face.

I pulled away at the sight of it, and smiled apologetically at him. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully."

"Laters Watson." Lottie smiled and wandered back to the bookshelf.

Clearing my throat, I looked back over to Holmes and nodded to him, "Goodbye, Holmes."

"Watson." He returned my nod before clasping his hands beneath his chin and watching Lottie intently.

Shaking my head, I left the room. Mary would love to hear of this.

*Lottie's POV*

As I skimmed through the bookshelf, I had that weird feeling you get when you think someone is watching you, so I turned around but Holmes was looking at his pipe. Shrugging my shoulders, I turned back to the bookshelf. When Holmes cleared his throat, I turned to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"What type of book are you looking for?" he asked.

"No idea. I'm just looking at what you have." I shrugged and gave up, returning to my seat.

"Did you find anything interesting in my desk?" he asked with a smirk.

I feigned innocence, and looked around. "What desk?"

"I know you've looked through it, it's painfully obvious."

"I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Didn't."

"Did." He smirked.

"Didn't!"

"Did."

"No I didn't. Why would I want to look in your stupid desk?" I glared at him, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Curiosity. You were looking around the room, saw my desk, and wanted to know what was in it. Did you find anything interesting?"

I stared at him with a scowl on my face for a minute while he sat there smiling smugly. "No." I muttered eventually. "Apart from a picture of a woman. Who is she? And why's that in your desk, and not out?"

His smile faltered briefly as he looked in the direction of his desk, but he feigned nonchalance and looked back at me. "An old… friend. It's in the draw because I don't want it out anymore."

"Oh… was she an ex girlfriend?" he shook his head rapidly, and realisation dawned on me. "That's that woman, isn't it? What was her name…? Oh! Irene Adler! Is that it?"

"Yes, that's her name." he muttered with a scowl in the desk's direction.

"I take it it didn't end well then?" I asked quietly, feeling strangely guilty for upsetting him.

"No, not exactly." He cleared his throat slightly and looked up. "What on earth is he doing here?" he asked suddenly, cocking his head in the direction of the door.

"Who?" before he could answer, the door swung open and my jaw hit the floor. "Oh my god! It's Stephen Fry!" I cried.

**xXxXx**

**A/n: There you go :) like that ending? Lol ;)**

**Please review, it means a lot :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n: Hello again people :D glad you're all enjoying this, and I hope you like this next chapter :)**

**xXxXx**

_He cleared his throat slightly and looked up. "What on earth is he doing here?" he asked suddenly, cocking his head in the direction of the door._

"_Who?" before he could answer, the door swung open and my jaw hit the floor. "Oh my god! It's Stephen Fry!" I cried._

I clamped a hand over my mouth and looked over at Holmes. Then it hit me who he looked like; Robert Downey Jr. And Watson looked like Jude Law! My eyes widened slightly and I took a few deep breaths before looking up. They were both staring at me and I suddenly felt incredibly stupid.

"Um… I'll just be leaving now…" I trailed off as I got to my feet.

"No, no Miss Harper, sit back down." Holmes spoke up.

"Why?"

"Please, sit. There's no reason for you to go." He pressed so I just shrugged and sat down. When I looked back towards the Stephen Fry look alike, I noticed the look he was giving me. It was the same one that Holmes gives me before deducing something about me.

"Hello Mycroft. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Holmes asked as he stood up and grabbed Stephen's- I mean Mycroft's – hand.

"I need you to sign these. They're about the case you solved for the prime minister a few weeks ago." Mycroft replied, handing him a folder without taking his eyes off me; it was getting kind of freaky.

"I think I'll go see Mrs Hudson." I announced and went to stand up again but as Holmes walked passed me on the way to his desk he gently pushed me back down into my seat before walking over to the desk.

"Mycroft Holmes, pleasure to meet you, Miss…?"

"Harper. Lottie Harper." I smiled and shook his hand. He nodded his head as he sat down in Watson's armchair and eyed me carefully.

"And where are you from?"

"London."

"Hmm," he paused to study me more before speaking again. "And how do you know my brother?"

"She's the new tenant. She's one of Mrs Hudson's friend's daughters. She needed somewhere to stay, so Mrs Hudson offered her the spare room." Holmes answered for me.

"Ah, thank you." He smiled at Holmes when he handed him the folder back. Holmes took his usual seat in his armchair, and they both watched me. I felt like an ant.

When neither of them stopped staring at me, I rolled my eyes and picked up the book I was reading. After about five minutes of no one talking, I looked up to see them both still staring at me. Clearing my throat, I smiled innocently. "Problem?"

"No, not at all." Mycroft smiled and still didn't take his eyes off me. "Who did you say your parents were?"

"I didn't." I replied cockily and I saw Holmes smirk from the corner of my eye. He stared at me expectantly, and when I didn't continue, the corners of his lips turned into a slight smile before he turned to look at Holmes.

"Well, how have you been, little brother?"

"Busy. And yourself?" Holmes replied politely, but was obviously not interested.

"Very well. In fact, the higher ups were so impressed with your work on their case that they spoke to the Queen and she would like to give you a knighthood."

"I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I have to refuse." Holmes told him before standing up and walking to the window. Mycroft got to his feet as well and looked at Holmes tiredly.

"Very well. I'll tell her you're busy. Now, I must be going. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Harper. Goodbye Sherlock." He gave me one last once over before nodding and leaving the room.

"Wow. I felt _so_ stupid then." I announced to Holmes' back.

"How so?" he asked as he turned to face me.

"Are you kidding? I was in a room with two geniuses!" I threw my hands up in frustration and he chuckled.

"I do believe that is the nicest thing you've said to me since we've met."

"Yeah, well don't get used to it." I muttered and picked up my book again.

*Watson's POV*

As I sat in the hansom with Mary on the way to 221B, I couldn't help but smile. I was just about to introduce Mary to the wonder that is Lottie Harper, and she was just about to be a witness to Holmes' infatuation. Mary noticed my smile, and asked me about it.

"I'm just glad that this moment is happening." I smiled and she giggled before straightening out her dress when the hansom pulled to a stop. I told the driver to return in an hour, before walking into the house.

As soon as we were inside, we could hear them arguing and Mary looked worried. "Oh no, dear. He does this for amusement, not because he dislikes her. In actual fact, it's quite the reverse." I chuckled quietly and motioned for her to be quiet as we ascended the stairs. We stopped outside the door and listened into the conversation inside.

"No I didn't!" Lottie's exasperated voice pressed.

"Now, we both know that isn't true, dear." Holmes replied and I could already picture his smirk in my mind.

"It is! Why the hell would I wear your flippin' robe?"

I clamped a hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing, and Mary grinned broadly up at me.

"So that you could feel like you were close to me, of course."

"Why on earth would I want to do that? It's bad enough when you're actually _here_, why would I want to be reminded of you when you're not?"

"Ah, now that is the bit I was hoping you would enlighten me on."

"Oh my- look, I didn't wear your robe. I just moved it from the chair so I could sit down."

"Mhmm… and I suppose it smells like you because it wears the same perfume?" I heard him chuckle, and smiled.

"How do you know what I smell like? No! Don't answer that. Seriously, if you don't stop going on about it, I'll choke you out with your stupid robe!" she shouted.

"Oh, I'd _love_ to see you try." Holmes challenged and I quickly swung the door open in time to stop Lottie walking over to him, "Ah, Watson. And Mrs Watson! What a delight!" Holmes grinned and lit his pipe.

"Good afternoon, Mister Holmes." Mary smiled. "And you must be Miss Harper?"

"Yep. But call me Lottie." Lottie smiled and they shook hands.

"Then you must call me Mary."

"Okay." Lottie smiled before looking over at me. "Hey Watson. Is there any chance I could borrow your gun?"

"No, I'm sorry." I chuckled.

"Can you even fire one?" Holmes asked casually before ducking the pillow thrown at him with ease.

"I've seen it done before. Can't be that hard." She glared at him and I smirked before interrupting their little tiff.

"Right. Get ready; we're going out for dinner."

"Are we now?" Holmes asked with a raised brow.

"Yes. We are. Now get ready."

"And what about Miss Harper? She can hardly go out dressed in her own clothes. They're hardly suitable." He carried on and dodged yet another pillow.

"Shut up! These clothes are perfectly acceptable in my ti- where I come from." She corrected with a nervous glance at Mary, who remained oblivious.

"Yes, but not here. If you go out like that, then you would most certainly be targeted by the rougher class of London."

"I'd like to see them try and touch me." She muttered angrily and glared at Holmes.

"And then Watson and I would be forced to protect your honour." Holmes smiled and she ground her teeth together to stop herself from saying anything to him as she turned to face me.

"I'll go ask Mrs Hudson for a dress or something." She muttered and left the room.

"Right. Go get ready." I started shooing Holmes from the room and he went along at a leisurely pace as he stuffed his pipe. I snatched it from his hands and pushed him into his room. "Hurry up."

"Yes, yes mother hen." He muttered and shut the door. Grinning, I turned to face Mary.

"I see what you mean now, John. He certainly likes to get under her skin." She whispered as I neared her.

"Indeed he does. Did you happen to catch him looking at her?"

"Yes, and I agree with you. There is something definitely there." She smiled mischievously and I kissed her gently before snapping my head towards the door when I heard a thump. Holmes' door opened, and we all rushed to the stairs to see Lottie sprawled out on the floor.

"Are you alright?" I asked as Holmes helped her to her feet.

"Yep. Never been better." She winced slightly as she stretched her back and rubbed her hip. Holmes watched her the entire time. She bent over to pick up her dress, and frowned when she stood up straight. "Right. I'm gonna go… get into this…" she trailed off as she ascended the next staircase whilst holding the dress out as if it had a disease.

"Would you like a hand?" Mary called after her with a smile.

"Oh. Yes please!" she called back.

…

About half an hour later, me and Holmes were waiting for the ladies at the bottom of the stairs, near the front door. "The Royal?"

"Of course." I replied with a smile. Mary appeared at the top of the stairs, laughing slightly.

"Come on, you look fine!" she called into the area she had just appeared from.

"I look like a friggin' frump!" Lottie's voice called back and I laughed. "I can't breathe in this bloody thing!"

"You look beautiful. Now come on, the table is already booked." Mary pressed with a smile down in our direction. I looked to my left to see Holmes was watching the scene upstairs with a great amount of interest and smiled to myself knowingly.

"I look ridiculous." Lottie announced before her head came into view.

"No you don't. Come along." Mary smiled and reached over to take her arm.

When Lottie appeared at the top of the stairs, I couldn't help but smile. She was wearing a light blue dress, which had dark blue and black embroidery patterns across the corset. I looked at Holmes in time to see him swallow slightly before he regained his composure and smiled.

"About time. I thought we were going to have to send in a search party."

"Shut your face." She scowled and descended the stairs slowly. "How do you wear these all the time?" she asked Mary.

"You mean you don't usually wear dresses?"

"Nope. Hate 'em." She muttered.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, I offered my arm to Mary and Holmes offered his to Lottie with a smile. She looked at him cautiously; as if afraid he was tricking her, before tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"You don't look frumpy, my dear." He smiled and she blushed lightly. We were off to a semi-good start.

**xXxXx**

**A/n: I don't think this chapter was as good as my other ones. It just wouldn't flow…. Anyway, hope you liked it and please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: I had to write this AGAIN because my stupidly stupid computer deleted it. I hate my life.**

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed last chapter :)**

**xXxXx**

*Watson's POV*

_When they reached the bottom of the stairs, I offered my arm to Mary and Holmes offered his to Lottie with a smile. She looked at him cautiously; as if afraid he was tricking her, before tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow._

"_You don't look frumpy, my dear." He smiled and she blushed lightly. We were off to a semi-good start._

When we got outside, the hansom was waiting and I told the driver to take us to the Royal before helping Mary in. Holmes helped Lottie in – earning a suspicious look from her – before gesturing for me to get in first. I seated myself next to Mary and Holmes climbed in after, knocking on the side to tell the driver we were ready. It was silent for a moment before Mary broke it.

"So how are you finding London, Lottie?"

"Oh, it's okay. I haven't really been out much, but from what I've seen it's very nice." She smiled.

Holmes chuckled before stating with a raised eyebrow; "I did offer for you to accompany on my last case."

"Yeah, after annoying the hell out of me all day! I needed a break from you!"

"You could have moved away from me."

"How? You're everywhere!" she threw her hands into the air in exasperation and I bit back a chuckle.

"Impossible. My mass-"

"Shut it, science boy." She cut him off, raising her finger in front of his mouth to shush him. He looked at it curiously for a moment before looking her in the eye when she lowered it.

"'Science boy'?" he repeated, one eyebrow raised.

"… Yeah. Science boy. That's your new nickname." She smirked.

"Hmm… Well then I suppose I'll have to think of one for you… How about-" he started, only to be cut off by Lottie.

"Okay, I won't call you science boy." She scowled.

"What makes you think I was going to insult you?" he laughed.

"Because you're you." She shot back.

He laughed again, raising an eyebrow and shaking his head. "Your logic is ridiculous."

"Yeah? Well… so is your… face!" she retorted and then furrowed her brow as she looked him over. He kept an eyebrow raised and I noticed that they seemed to have forgotten Mary and I were there with them.

I also noticed that they had subconsciously moved in their seats so that they were facing each other; their knees brushing against each other every so often.

"My… face?" he asked slowly.

"… Okay, so you're face _isn't _ridiculous." She corrected, and Holmes grinned. "But your… your… your dressing gown is!" she announced triumphantly and Mary and I had to clamp our hands over our mouths to keep from bursting out laughing at Holmes' appalled face.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's old and tatty." She smirked.

"Oh? That didn't seem to bother you when you were wearing it earlier." He smirked back.

"Holy mother of God! Damn you!" she hissed and turned to look out of the window sulkily. Mary spoke to her, and she joined in the conversation; forgetting she was supposed to be annoyed.

Holmes watched her from the corner of his eye the rest of the journey, making me smile to myself before turning my gaze to the window.

When we arrived outside the restaurant, we were quickly seated and given our menus. Holmes was sat across from me, with Mary to my left and Lottie to my right. As soon as we had sat down, I leant forward and looked between Holmes and Lottie. "Be on your best behaviour, both of you."

"Me? It's him!" Lottie whispered fiercely with a glare in Holmes' direction.

"I shall be on my best behaviour, old boy." He smiled and looked around the room.

We made polite conversation as we waited for our meals, and I was surprised to see that they weren't arguing. They were actually having their own conversations without shouting at each other. Mary and I turned our focus to their conversation just in time to hear Lottie say; "Where do you buy your waistcoats? They're really cool."

Holmes looked down at his black waistcoat with green floral decoration and chuckled. "And what do you mean by 'cool', my dear?"

"Oh, right. They're really… nice." She smiled and nodded.

"Ah, I see. Well, I get them from the tailor round the corner from Baker Street."

"Awesome. Looks expensive." I felt my eyebrow rise, and looked over at Mary to see that she, too, was stunned at how they were acting.

She leant over as they carried on speaking and whispered in my ear; "Do you think they've been drugged?"

"I'm not sure…" I whispered back and looked up to see them leaning closer together; Holmes was pointing over in the distance and she was nodding as he told her something. "It's certainly unusual."

The waiters bought our meals over, and we were halfway through when they returned to their normal selves. Holmes had hardly eaten anything, and Lottie rolled her eyes at him. "Do you _ever _eat?"

"Indeed I do. Evidently." He added, gesturing to his barely touched plate.

"No wonder you're so skinny! You're just skin and bones." She muttered as she sipped her wine.

"And muscle, skin tissue, a brain, internal organs-"

"Hush. Eat." He stared at her defiantly and she rolled her eyes again. "Want me to feed you like a baby?"

"I would rather you didn't, but thank you for the offer." He smiled.

"If you don't eat I'll burn your dressing gown." She smirked.

"You wouldn't dare." He said with narrowed eyes.

"How you betting?"

"I'll just hide it." He grinned.

"Then I'll burn it next time you wear it." She shot back instantly. His eyes narrowed further as he stared her down. After a few minutes, he sighed heavily and picked up his fork.

She nodded her head with a grin before carrying on with her meal. When we were all finished both the meal and dessert, we paid and left the restaurant. We decided to walk home as the weather was still fairly nice, and Mary looped her arm through mine as we walked behind Holmes and Lottie. He offered her his arm, and she stared at him carefully before shrugging and taking it.

When it came to where Mary and I turned off to return home, we bid them goodnight and watched them walk away curiously. "I think they were made for each other." Mary whispered to me as we watched them walk away – still arm in arm – bickering about something.

"I do believe you're right, dear." I chuckled and we turned the corner and made our way home.

**xXxXx**

**A/n: More from Lottie's POV next chapter :D**

**Hope you all liked that? Let me know please :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n: Hey! Sorry for the wait, I've been pretty busy. REAL LIFE SUCKS!**

**Anyway, thanks to everyone that reviewed last chapter, I'm glad you're enjoying this so far :D**

**Hope you like this one too :D**

**xXxXx**

*Lottie's POV*

When we got back to 22B, we headed straight up into the living room and I flopped onto the sofa while Holmes shrugged off his coat. I looked down at my dress and frowned as I plucked at the frills. "Screw it. I'm changing." I announced and rolled off the sofa. I stood up in time to see Holmes take off his hat. He ran his hand through his hair to mess it up a bit before looking at me. I ignored the fact that I thought he looked attractive with his hair like that and tried to remember how irritating he is.

"Changing what?" he asked before throwing his hat on a nearby table.

"My dress. I can't breathe in this bloody thing." I huffed and then winced when my ribs were crushed. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Right." He smiled and plopped himself into his armchair. I left the room and made my way up the stairs and into my bedroom.

I had to ask Mrs Hudson for help in the end, because I got stuck whilst trying to get it off. She tried her best not to laugh, but I told her to just let it out and she didn't stop for about ten minutes.

When I went back into the living room, Holmes was in the same place, stuffing his pipe. I sprawled out on the sofa sighed heavily. "Wow. I never realised how much I would miss TV."

He chuckled, and I looked up to see him watching me as he lit his pipe. "I'm sorry, does my company bore you?"

"Oh, sorry. No." I smiled. "You would understand if you'd seen a TV before."

He nodded with a small smile and sparked up a conversation about crime. We spoke for a few hours – arguing about whether I wore his dressing gown or not – before I decided to go to bed.

*Watson's POV*

The evening after we'd gone for dinner, I decided to visit 221B again to see how they were getting on. When I entered, I was surprised not to hear any shouting and began to wonder if Lottie had carried out any of her previous threats. I quickly made my way up the stairs and opened the door to the living room to see Lottie led on the sofa, reading a book. When she heard me, she placed the book on the floor and sat up.

"Hey Watson." She grinned.

"Hello, Lottie." I smiled back, glancing around the room. "Where's Holmes?"

"Huh? Oh right, he went to go boxing or something." She shrugged and stretched out her arms. "Does he... uh…" she trailed off, looking around nervously.

"Does he…?" I pressed, even though I was fairly sure I knew what she was going to ask.

"You know, get, like… hurt?" she said the last word in almost a whisper, but I heard it and smiled warmly at her.

"Not critically. Would you feel better if we went to check on him?"

"I'm not worried about him!" she defended quickly, shaking her head.

"You're not?" I asked sceptically.

"No! Of course not. I was just… wondering." She finished weakly.

"Well, I'll be checking on him anyway. Would you like to accompany me?" I asked with a knowing smile.

"I don't need to check up on him." She laughed. "But it would be nice to get out of the house… okay. I'll come."

Nodding, I gestured for her to leave the room, and she smiled before crossing the room and descending the stairs. I followed her down them, and she shrugged on one of Holmes' coats – which made my smile widen.

Once outside, I hailed us a passing hansom and helped Lottie climb inside. Once we were seated, I called our destination to the driver before settling back into my seat and looking out the window with a satisfied smile.

When we arrived at the punch bowl, I paid the driver and offered Lottie my hand to help her out of the carriage. We paused outside the door, and I leant a bit closer to her so that she could hear what I was going to say above the noise that was emitting from behind the door.

"Be careful in there, and try to stay close to me. There will be a lot of drunken men in there, and I wouldn't want one of them laying a hand on you." I advised.

"I'd like to see them try." She replied defiantly, and I smiled down at her confidence.

"Very well. After you." I added as I held the door open for her to enter. She stepped inside, and I quickly followed – the smell of alcohol and sweat hitting my nostrils immediately.

"Smells wonderful." She muttered sarcastically for only me to hear. I laughed, and nodded for her to follow me. We made our way to the ring, and I peered over the sea of heads to see that Holmes was in the ring, fighting a large, well toned man with dark brown hair that was clinging to his head due to the sweat dripping from it.

Lottie grabbed my arm, and together we pushed our way through the crowd. Once we reached the front, Lottie released my arm and placed both of her hands on the railing, gripping it tightly. I notice her eyes widen in shock when she saw Holmes, and I wasn't certain whether it was due to the fact that he had a cut above his left eye, or that he was shirtless. I had a feeling it was the latter. I saw her jump slightly when Holmes' opponent swung for his head, but she recovered quickly when Holmes dodged it and landed a punch to the man's stomach.

Holmes hadn't yet noticed us, and continued to get his opponent riled up by mocking him and giving him light taps in stead of hard punches. Holmes dodged another of the brute's punches easily, and his eyes locked onto us when he stood back to his full height. This momentary pause gave enough time for Holmes' opponent to land a solid punch to the right side of Holmes' face, and the man caught him before he fell and launched him in our direction.

Recovering quickly, Holmes' hands appeared on the railing in front of Lottie before the man himself popped up, looking between us curiously before his eyes remained on Lottie. "What are you two doing here?"

"Watson wanted to check up on you and I wanted to get out of the house." Lottie shrugged.

"Ah… and the reason for you wearing my jacket is…?" he smirked, panting lightly as he regained his breath. His opponent was shouting at him to turn around, and the crowd were getting restless.

"I'm no-" Lottie cut herself off once she realised that she was, in fact, wearing Holmes' coat. "I… didn't mean to."

"I'm sure you didn't." Holmes chuckled.

"I didn't! I'm leaving before I deck you." She announced with a huff before making to turn away. Holmes grabbed her arm and pulled her close to the railing, looking into her eyes.

"And where would you be going?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Well, I was- look out!" Lottie yelled and Holmes spun around just in time to land a strong punch to his opponent's jaw. He released Lottie's arm and used that hand to hit the man in his ribs. Without giving him a chance to react, Holmes delivered a powerful uppercut to the man's jaw before hitting him in the ribs again – the sound of his ribs breaking flooded over the crowd's roar. Finally, Holmes jumped up and kicked the man squarely in his sternum, sending him reeling to the floor where he clutched his ribs in pain.

The whole room fell silent, and Holmes sniffed before turning around and walking back over to us. Lottie was frozen in shock, alternating her gaze between Holmes and the man on the floor. Holmes clicked in front of her face, and she snapped her head up to look at him properly. "You were saying?" he asked casually.

"I was… uh..." she looked over at me for a moment before looking back at Holmes and clearing her throat. "You should put a shirt on before some guy thinks it's his lucky night."

Laughing, Holmes turned and strutted his way over to the door of the ring. The room was still fairly silent – the only sounds were a few people whispering in shock and Holmes' foot steps. He reached into a man's jacket and pulled out his winnings before raising his hand and gesturing for us to follow him up the stairs. He purchased a few bottles of drink on his way before ascending the stairs.

*Lottie's POV*

The next day, as Mrs Hudson was attempting to teach me how to cook, Watson came round. He greeted me and Mrs Hudson in the kitchen before going up the stairs to speak to Holmes. They came down the stairs just as Mrs Hudson disappeared into the garden to get some carrots and walked into the kitchen.

"Lottie, would you like to accompany us on this case?" Watson asked as they both stopped near the door. Holmes had just pulled on his coat and placed his hat on his head as they looked at me expectantly.

"Well, I would, but Mrs Hudson wants to teach me how to cook. God knows why, it's a bit of a lost cause if you ask me." I laughed. They both chuckled, and I wiped my hands on a cloth before walking over to them.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Holmes added.

"I bet she would. She keeps going on about how odd it is that I haven't been taught this already. I don't think I'm ever going to leave this kitchen again." I chuckled.

"Ah, well, I doubt we'll be gone long." Watson smiled.

"Okey dokey. I'll see you later then." I grinned and pulled him into a hug. Chuckling, Watson wrapped one arm around my shoulders. When I pulled back, I gave him a smile before looking at Holmes – who was looking around the room. Shrugging my shoulders, I stepped closer to him and just as he looked up, I wrapped my arms around his middle. I felt him tense slightly in surprise, before he hesitantly wrapped both arms around me. I didn't even realise that we'd held on for slightly longer than a normal hug until I heard Mrs Hudson drop something in the garden.

Feeling my face heat up, I pulled back and gave them both a sheepish smile before turning quickly and practically running into the garden.

**xXxXx**

**A/n: not much arguing in that chapter, but I decided to stick in a little bit of fluff :) hope you don't mind? Don't worry, there'll be more of the Love Hate Relationship in the next chapter :D**

**So, please review and let me know what you thought of this :D Reviews mean a lot to me, and make me want to write quicker *hint hint* ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n: Hey hey! Sorry about the wait. Again. What can I say? Real life sucks bum. Anyway, thanks to everyone that reviewed, and I hope you're all still with me! :D**

**Review replies to peeps without accounts:**

**Dynomiiite:**** Lol I'm really glad you like it! Glad you like the pairing, too :) Lol I like fluff :D But I also love making them argue ;) Hope you enjoy the rest of the story! :D**

**Millypink:**** You lost your password? Unlucky. Lol. Glad you like her :) and she was wearing trousers. She got changed, remember? :P hope you like the rest :D**

**Right. Now. On with it! XD**

*Watson's POV*

Grinning like a loon, I turned to look at Holmes after watching Lottie practically run from the room. He was looking at the door she'd just run through, and his cheeks were tinted red with a light blush. He cleared his throat, averting his gaze to the floor as he tried to get rid of his blush. When he looked up at me, he glared slightly and began to leave the room.

"Watson, do stop grinning like that. You look like an escaped mental patient." He shot over his shoulder.

"Holmes, don't think you can pretend that didn't happen." I said, catching up with him and stepping in his way.

"What? Mine and Lottie's friendly embrace? Why would I pretend it didn't happen?" he asked, trying to make his way passed me.

"That was a bit more than the usual friendly hug, old boy." I stated, moving to block his way again. He huffed and stood in front of me with his arms crossed across his chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Watson. You hugged her as well!"

"Yes, but mine wasn't a minute long." I smirked.

"A minute? You need to learn to tell the time, old boy. I do believe you're exaggerating." He muttered.

"I'm not, Holmes. And you know it." I said firmly, trying not to grin.

"Whatever you say, mother hen." He said before pushing his way passed me and walking out the front door. I followed behind him, allowing myself that grin now that he wasn't looking. "And you can wipe that grin off your face, Watson. People will think the Good Doctor's gone mad."

"What? How did you…?" I spluttered.

He didn't answer, just climbed into the waiting hansom with a smirk. Shaking my head, I climbed in after him.

…

When we arrived on the scene, Holmes hopped out of the hansom and strolled over to Lestrade, who was waiting at the opening of an alleyway with Clarkie.

"Afternoon Lestrade, Clarkie."

"Afternoon, sir." Clarkie smiled, giving Holmes his usual smile, and the usual look of awe plastered across his face.

"Holmes, Doctor." Lestrade greeted quickly, turning to lead us down the alley. "We think he was attacked some when this morning. We need you to confirm that for us, Doctor." I nodded, and he continued.

"There were no witnesses, and the man that found the body is over there." He gestured a bit further down the alley, where a tall, lanky man was talking to a few officers. "Found it when he was walking to work. He's a doctor at St Bart's."

Holmes nodded, glancing over the man. "Right. I trust the body hasn't been touched?"

"No, of course not." Lestrade answered somewhat defensively. My friend smiled.

"Just checking, Lestrade. I know what your officers are like." Before Lestrade could retort, Holmes had quickened his pace and crouched beside the body. "Watson?"

I joined him quickly, examining the body. "Yes, he was definitely killed some when this morning. With a heavy, blunt object."

"Hmm…" Holmes began muttering to himself quietly, and I stood up to take a look around the scene. Holmes stood up, took one quick look around the scene, and began walking over to the witness. I followed, ready to prevent him from insulting the man. "Good afternoon Mr…?"

"Hillier. Craig Hillier." The man supplied, shaking both of our hands.

"I only have a few questions." Holmes began. "Did you see anything unusual when you arrived on the scene?"

"No. There was no one here, except the body." Hillier stated. "Although, I did here something drop as I rushed towards the body. It sounded like something heavy."

"And where did this sound come from?" Holmes pressed.

"I'm not sure. In that direction." The man replied, pointing to a smaller alley coming out of the one we were standing in. Holmes nodded, thanked the man, and started to walk down it.

I followed behind him, and noticed Lestrade was watching us curiously. "Obviously, he hasn't thought of looking down here." Holmes chuckled. "Honestly. I sometimes wonder how he managed to become Inspector."

Smiling, I followed him further into the small alley, pausing when Holmes did to examine scuff marks on the floor. I noticed a drop of blood on the floor, and was just looking at it, when Holmes started laughing. Looking up, I noticed he was leaning down to a drainage pipe. "What is it?"

"The murder weapon." He stated simply. I walked over to him, and noticed that there was a broken part of the pipe, which had been dropped near bottom. "Well. This was a waste of time."

"You still don't know who did it, Holmes." I pointed out, and Holmes waved a dismissive hand before walking back over to Lestrade.

"Find anything?" Lestrade asked eagerly.

"Indeed. The murder weapon is down that alley; the broken piece of pipe. The man you're looking for is approximately five foot eleven, going by the length of his stride, and weighs roughly seventy eight kilos. Now, the man you're looking for works with chemicals – there's a faint aroma of sulphur on the pipe. Let me know as soon as you find someone who fits that description – I need to ask them some questions. You should probably ask the people who live on the street near the exit to the alley, to see if they noticed anyone leaving there this morning." With that, Holmes walked away and I followed after bidding good day to Lestrade and Clarkie.

Once we were back in the hansom, I turned to Holmes. "What do you need to speak to the suspect for?"

"Well, firstly, to check that they have the right man. And secondly, to ask him whether he killed the man because he was having an affair with his wife, or because they were having an affair, and the deceased man ended it. I'm leaning more towards the latter."

"You mean the two men?" I asked, brow furrowed. "And how could you possibly know this?"

"Yes, yes; the two men." Holmes, once again, waved a dismissive hand. "All will be revealed, Watson."

The rest of the journey was spent in silence, and it wasn't long before we were walking through the front door of 221B. As we walked in, Lottie was just exiting the kitchen, laughing. Mrs Hudson's head appeared in the doorway, and she was smiling slightly.

"Go get yourself cleaned up! Honestly, anyone'd think it was hard to make cake!" with that, she disappeared back into the kitchen.

I looked over at Lottie, and noticed that she had flour on her face, in her hair, and dotted down her front. She was still chuckling when she noticed us standing there and stopped straight away, smiling slightly.

"I take it cooking didn't go well?" I asked, chuckling slightly as I removed my coat.

"No, not really. I really don't think I'm cut out for it." She laughed, walking closer and blushing slightly when she caught Holmes' eye.

"Did you cause an explosion?" Holmes asked, shrugging off his coat.

"Well, not really. I sort of dropped the flour onto my head when I was trying to put it back in the cupboard." She laughed. "I'm gonna go wash up."

"We'll be in the study." I told her before gesturing for her to go up the stairs first.

"Okay. See you in a minute." She smiled before running up the stairs, flour falling from her and onto the carpet as she went.

Holmes and I made our way up the stairs and once we were in our seats, I decided to tease Holmes a bit. "So, when are you going to tell her?"

"Tell who what?" he replied absently, stuffing his pipe.

"Tell Lottie that you fancy her."

His hands stilled briefly before he recovered and lit his pipe. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. So when will you tell her?"

"Watson, like I said, I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

I chuckled, laughing harder when he glared at me. "Holmes, you're so obviously smitten it's painful to watch. If it helps, I'm quite certain she feels the same way."

"Watson, do be quiet. I'm thinking." He muttered, picking up his violin and plucking it randomly.

"About Lottie?" I teased.

He shot me a dark look and I smirked, picking up the paper.

…

Lottie came into the room a while later, no longer covered in flour and with slightly damp hair. She grinned at us before sprawling out on the sofa, looking at the fire. Holmes' playing started getting louder – and worse. I watched her slowly turn her head to glare at him, and he just smirked, still playing awfully.

After about five minutes, Lottie surprised us both by launching out of her seat and snatching his violin. He was out of his seat immediately, but she danced out of his reach, moving so that a table was between them.

"Give that back." Holmes said quietly, though I could see the amusement in his eyes.

"Um, let me think… no." Lottie grinned. "It's annoying."

"Its not annoying, it helps me think."

"You started playing worse because I came in! That's annoying." Lottie pressed.

"Annoying for you, yes. Not for me." Holmes grinned, suddenly making a dash round the table. Lottie squeaked and ran around the table before vaulting over the sofa and landing on the other side, holding the violin behind her.

Holmes landed in front of her, and stopped moving, glaring at her.

"You can't get it, because that will involve touching me." She grinned. "And I'll tell Mrs Hudson that you were manhandling me."

Holmes' eyes narrowed dangerously. "You wouldn't."

"… yeah I know. That's not fair." She smiled, stepping backwards with the violin still behind her back. Holmes made a grab for it, but she spun slightly so that he couldn't reach and grinned at him.

"C'mon, slow-coach." She teased, taking another step back. Smirking, Holmes made another swipe for it. She dodged again, and I laughed when she winked at me.

"Woman, give me my violin."

"Man, get it yourself." She shot back, grinning like a loon and stepping to the side as he reached round to get it.

After a few more minutes of this, Holmes gave up and wrapped both arms around her, reaching for the instrument. Lottie looked startled, but managed to keep it just out of his reach by lowering it and moving it to the side. As Holmes leaned forward more to reach it, Lottie stumbled and they both toppled to the floor ungracefully.

Laughing so hard a had tears in my eyes, I peered over the sofa to see them sprawled out on the floor; Lottie was led on her back, staring at Holmes with wide eyes, and he was on top of her, looking like he was about to have a heart attack. The violin was led on the floor to their left.

They stared at each other for a moment, none of them moving at all other than to breathe. Suddenly, as if they'd both realised what was going on at the exact same time, Holmes rolled off her and they both bolted up to their feet, clearing their throats.

"Well, I best be getting back to Mary." I stated, failing to hide my grin.

Holmes shot me a look that clearly said 'don't leave!' but I just grinned wider, nodded my head and left the room, calling out goodbye over my shoulder. Once I was down the stairs, I allowed myself a chuckle and pulled on my coat.

Mary would love to hear about this.

**A/n: Again, sorry about the wait. Hope you enjoyed it though XD**

**A nice bit of fun fluff and arguing there XD **

**Please review! I like reviews :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n: I'm soo sorry for the wait! I really, really didn't mean to leave it this long. I've been really busy with school and stuff... I hope you're all still with me? XD**

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed last chapter, I'm glad you all liked it :D **

**Review replies to people without accounts:**

**Wolfgodess:**** Thank you :D I'm so glad you think so! Haha now you can finally see how they get on ;) lol. Thank you so much! Enjoy :D**

**xXx**

_They stared at each other for a moment, none of them moving at all other than to breathe. Suddenly, as if they'd both realised what was going on at the exact same time, Holmes rolled off her and they both bolted up to their feet, clearing their throats._

_"Well, I best be getting back to Mary." I stated, failing to hide my grin._

_Holmes shot me a look that clearly said 'don't leave!' but I just grinned wider, nodded my head and left the room, calling out goodbye over my shoulder. Once I was down the stairs, I allowed myself a chuckle and pulled on my coat._

_Mary would love to hear about this._

...

*Lottie's POV*

I watched helplessly as Watson left, silently praying that he'd come back and say he'd stay for a while. Once the door shut, I knew he wasn't coming back. Taking a deep breath, I cautiously turned my head to look at Holmes and saw that he was still staring at the door.

"So..." I muttered, and his head slowly turned towards me. "What, uh... what shall we do now?"

Holmes cleared his throat and brushed some imaginary dust from the front of his jacket. "I haven't got a clue, my dear. Anything you'd like to do?"

I shook my head innocently and waited until he'd pulled his pipe out of his pocket until I lunged forward and grabbed his violin from the floor. As soon as I'd straightened up, Holmes lunged at me and I just laughed as I stepped out of his reach. I watched the grin spread across his face as he took a step towards me, and I took a step back, wondering why I was playing this game. I knew what would happen, and yet I was still doing it.

Shaking his head and grinning still, Holmes stepped closer to me. "Give me my violin, woman."

"Stop calling me woman, man!" I glared, holding it behind my back as I stepped out of his reach again.

"Fine. Give me my violin, Lottie." He muttered through gritted teeth, but I could tell he was trying not to smile.

"Why would I want to do that?" I smirked, taking yet another step back. I felt my eyes widen when my back hit a wall, and gripped the violin tightly in my hands as he took another step forward so that our bodies were inches apart. My breathing quickened slightly, and I had to force myself not to look into his eyes. Instead I stared at his jaw, and silently cursed myself when I immediately admired his stubble.

"Because I'll simply take it if you don't." Holmes smirked, reaching forward to try and reach behind me. I pressed myself against the wall so that he couldn't get it, and smiled innocently at him.

"I thought you were going to take it?" I challenged, finally looking up at his face. Our eyes locked just as he stepped forward so that our bodies were touching, and I swallowed thickly. I bit my lip slightly when I noticed his pupils dilate briefly, and my eyes flickered down to his lips.

Slowly, Holmes started to lower his head towards mine. I tilted my head slightly, my breathing a bit quicker in anticipation of what was about to happen. We both closed our eyes, and just as I felt his lips brush mine I heard a clattering of china from outside the door.

Holmes leapt backwards and cleared his throat, putting some distance between us as he busied himself with pretending to be looking for something in a pile of papers. I took a step away from the wall, my breathing still fast as I pretended to be examining Holmes' violin. When the door opened, Mrs Hudson smiled at us and walked over to the table, setting the tray down.

"Here you go, dears." She cooed, pouring us both a cup of tea as Holmes and I avoided eye contact. "Dinner will be ready in just over an hour. The Doctor sent a messenger along to say that he and Mrs Watson will be joining us, so I'll set it up in the dining room." I just nodded dumbly as she left the room, still staring at the violin in my hands. I heard Holmes stop moving the papers around and looked up to find him looking at me.

I swallowed slightly as we locked eyes, and found myself speechless. We continued to stare at each other for a moment before I found my voice and stepped towards him, holding out his violin. "I think I'll wash up before dinner." Holmes nodded, taking the violin from my hand as we continued to look at each other. Taking a deep breath, I leant up and pressed my lips to his for a moment before pulling back and quickly leaving the room before I could see his reaction.

*Watson's POV*

When Mary and I arrived at 221B, it was to silence. Raising an eyebrow, I led Mary upstairs and knocked on the door to Holmes' study. "Enter, Watsons." I rolled my eyes at Holmes' comment and opened the door, letting Mary step in before me. Holmes was sat in his armchair examining a shoe, and Lottie was sprawled out on the sofa, reading a book.

She sat up and closed the book once we'd stepped inside and smiles brightly. "Hey, guys." She grinned, getting to her feet.

"Hello, Lottie." Mary smiled and laughed quietly when Lottie pulled her into a hug. I smiled when Lottie hugged me and returned the embrace before looking at Holmes, who had yet to look up from the shoe. Lottie and Mary took a seat on the sofa and started chatting whilst I sat in the armchair beside Holmes, raising my eyebrow.

"What on earth are you doing, Holmes?" I asked as I leant closer to look at the shoe.

"It's for a case, old boy. I'm currently examining the wear on the tread, and the amount of mud present. I've already checked the scuff marks, and learnt a fair bit." He smiled over at me before setting the shoe back in a box, crossing one leg over the other as he leant back in his chair.

"Ah, I see. For the Yard, I presume?"

"Indeed. Lestrade is at wit's end." He chuckled, and I noticed his eyes lingered on Lottie before he looked over at me.

"What happened after I left then, old boy?" I smirked, lowering my voice so the women wouldn't overhear.

"Nothing at all." Holmes responded immediately, looking down at his nails. I continued to stare at him with a small smirk and he sighed heavily, glancing in the direction of the women before looking back at me. "Do stop staring, Watson. It's rather off putting."

"Well? What happened?" He scoffed, chewing on his thumb nail. "It's obvious something happened, old boy. You may as well tell me."

Just as Holmes was about to speak, Mrs. Hudson appeared in the doorway to inform us dinner was ready. Holmes grinned, jumping to his feet and thanking Mrs. Hudson as he passed her, causing her to stare after him in shock. Mary looked over at me with a raised eyebrow, but I merely shrugged and stood up, gesturing for them to leave first.

If he thought he was getting away with it that easily, he was sorely mistaken. Smirking, I followed the women downstairs.

**xXx**

**A/n: There we go. Again, sorry about the wait. Please review and let me know what you thought, and I promise not to leave it so long next time :) **

**Thank you for reading.**


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